A26923:1219
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches by reconciling explication without much disputing. Written by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Salusbury, 1691
Chapter 27: Of Repentance; late Repentance; the time of Grace, and of the unpardonable Sin.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. 17. The time of repentance or mercy, may be said in two Senses to be past; 1. When a man shall not be accepted and pardoned, though he should repent: And so the Day of grace is never past in this Life (and the Damned do not truly repent in our present Sense;) so that for a penitent person to fear that the Day of grace is past, or his Repentance too late (if true) is to contradict the Scope of the Gospel, which giveth pardon to every one that truly repenteth. 2. When a man that before had some motions and helps to repent, and obstinately resisted them, shall be given up to his Obstinacy, and never have such motions more. Thus the Day of grace may be past with many: And such persons turn from God to Wickedness, and are hardened in the love of sin, and usually blinded to defend it, and hate a holy Life: But those that do repent, or fain would repent, or yet feel God moving them to repent, have no cause to think that God hath thus forsaken them. For it is only obstinate and continued forsaking God, that is the sign of one forsaken by him.
§. 17. The time of repentance or mercy, may be said in two Sences to be past; 1. When a man shall not be accepted and pardoned, though he should repent: And so the Day of grace is never past in this Life (and the Damned do not truly repent in our present Sence;) so that for a penitent person to fear that the Day of grace is past, or his Repentance too late (if true) is to contradict the Scope of the Gospel, which giveth pardon to every one that truly repenteth. 2. When a man that before had some motions and helps to repent, and obstinately resisted them, shall be given up to his Obstinacy, and never have such motions more. Thus the Day of grace may be past with many: And such persons turn from God to Wickedness, and are hardened in the love of sin, and usually blinded to defend it, and hate a holy Life: But those that do repent, or fain would repent, or yet feel God moving them to repent, have no cause to think that God hath thus forsaken them. For it is only obstinate and continued forsaking God, that is the sign of one forsaken by him.
§. 18. And this also is no proof to us, that such a Person is finally forsaken. For many that have rejected grace many years, are afterward converted by that grace: So that all that we can say, is, That such as God hath forsaken, do continue to the end to reject his Mercy, and prefer their Lusts; but that he will so continue to the end, no man himself can tell before the end.